This invention relates to the art of crocheting and knitting and more particularly to a tool for placing beads on an article which is being or has been crocheted or knitted.
The conventional method of securing a bead to a work being crocheted or knitted involves stringing a bead on a working thread using a needle and then the bead is removed from the string to place on the article being crocheted or knitted. This conventional method is time consuming and has many problems. For instance, the string holding the bead often becomes knotted which makes removing the beads difficult. Further, the beads are not securely fastened to the work after stitching because they are held only by a single thread. Thus, the beads can become detached easily or flop when the article is moved. Another problem is that the beads can only be placed in the location on the work only in the order the beads are placed on the working string and only at a particular location of the work. An additional problem is that the beads must be counted carefully when they are placed on the working string because more beads cannot be added unless the string is broken. If the string is broken and more beads added, however, the working thread must be tied, thereby leaving a knot in the working string. Also, the size of the beads that can be used with the conventional method are limited as some working strings makes it difficult to use tiny seed beads on the working string. An even further problem is that the beads can be placed on the work only during the crocheting or knitting process thereby making changes to the work after completion impossible.
Thus, a need exists for a bead threading tool and method that eliminates these problems.
The relevant prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 1,104,640 issued to Denner on Jul. 21, 1914; U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,175 issued to Flavin, et al. on Nov. 11, 1997; and France Patent No. 780,672 issued to Burgard. However, none of these patents discloses a bead threading tool and method like the present invention.
The objects of the present invention are to provide a bead threading tool and method for use in crocheting, knitting and the like that:
eliminates the need for a beaded working thread and the problems associated therewith;
to enables the beads to be placed on the article not only during, but also after the article has been completed;
allows the beads to be placed in any desired location on the article; and
attaches beads to a work more securely than conventional methods.
The present invention offers the above and other objects by providing a bead threading tool made from a wire folded over and twisted at the fold to form a twisted distal end, an intermediate section formed by that portion of the folded wire and a proximal end formed by the tips of the folded over wire held fixably by a handle which may comprise a circular ball so the tool can be held during use. The method of using the bead threading tool for securing beads to an article during or after crocheting or knitting is also disclosed.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.